I think the recent news about Jalen Hurts requires a broader conversation about athlete health and wellness. I’m sure you’ve heard about it already, but Jalen can’t play football for the rest of the season due to blood clots in his lungs and in his calf. Jalen is currently stable and his agent, Nicole Lynn reported this morning that she expects him to have a full-recovery with no long-term effects. But beyond the actual diagnosis, the hard part was also what we’re learning about the conditions he played in during the recent London game. He apparently found out about the clot before kickoff and was at the hospital until the early hours of game day, yet was still committed to playing.

Some reports said he was medically advised not to sleep due to the risk of the blood clot and had been awake for 36 hours, but his agent has clarified that he did sleep and felt rested enough to play. Either way, it’s incredibly hard to sit with the fact that things could have gone severely wrong.

If you’re wondering what his diagnosis means medically, doctor’s are explaining that Jalen is suffering from a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his leg and pulmonary emboli, which are clots that traveled to his lungs. Those can be dangerous because they block blood flow and strain the heart, which is why “clinically stable” in the team’s update matters. He’ll be on blood thinners for treatment, which will keep new clots from forming while his body clears the existing ones. And a hard hit while on them could cause fatal bleeding, which is why he can’t take part in any contact activities for now. The overall outlook on his health seems strong, but it’s still very concerning and unsettling to me.

As someone who’s always loved sports beyond the game itself, I can admire Jalen’s love and passion for it and how much he’ll do for his team, but it should never be at the expense of his health.

The NFL and the medical team involved who cleared him need to be held accountable.

But between the pile of injuries across the league and now Jalen's diagnosis, this season has been a constant reminder of how fragile life can be, and how the players give so much of themselves on the field.

I’m sharing this because Jalen has always deserved all of the love, patience, and support he needs, but especially now. Moments like this need to push the NFL to treat player safety and wellness as the main priority, not an afterthought.

Sending prayers for a strong recovery for QB1. I hope this time away from the game gives him the space to heal, both from the physical impact and from the mental toll this has taken on his overall wellbeing.

It felt like just yesterday when the Knicks won the NBA Championship and New York quite literally had the best and most unified summer in a while. A core memory that so many of us will speak about for years to come.

But we’re already heading into a brand new season and with that comes so many changes, even for the reigning champs. No roster stays the same forever, but I’m sending out a lifeline of hope that the core starters are here to stay. They have a best friends forever chemistry that I really love and it’ll be tested right away by the Philadelphia 76ers, who are one to lookout for this season. They’ve added two phenomenal players, Jaylen Brown and the one and only, LeBron James to a core of VJ, Maxey and Embiid.

I, for some unknown, unaffiliated reason, always seem to have a sweet spot for Philly sports teams. VJ Edgecombe, who is no longer a rookie, really captured my attention last year when he got drafted. He comes from a small 7-mile island in the Bahamas called Bimini, and he’s a true representation that small town dreams can take you all the way to a big city.

But the story I keep coming back to revolves around the veterans, who have been in the league for a long time but are technically “rookies” to Philadelphia. Starting over and learning a new team’s dynamic can’t be easy, but I do think it’s one of the bravest things someone can do. Being established somewhere doesn’t mean you should get comfortable and entering a new chapter doesn’t erase the old one. It just means there’s a new opportunity to grow.

As scary as it is, I think there’s a certain level of freedom that comes with starting over again. It’s an inevitable part of life, whether it’s a new job, a new city, a new relationship, a new chapter like marriage or kids, or even a new version of yourself, since we’re always evolving and growing with experience.

So as the Sixers figure out their new chemistry, I’ll be watching with a little extra respect for what it takes to begin again. You’re allowed to feel like a rookie again. Being new somewhere doesn’t cancel out everything you’ve already built.

And the bite-size lesson i’m taking from this is you can be great and also still be a beginner, those two things aren’t opposites.

out my cart

• Birkenstocks - the Austin location was offering customizations when you buy Birks, so you know I had to!!! i chose to engrave hearts on the front and my nickname on the side <3 - so far they are as comfortable as everyone says.

I just landed in Austin, Texas and I’m staying at the beautiful, 1 Hotel that just opened in the Waterline building. The 7 AM flight out of JFK was brutal (please remind me never to book that early again).

Even though I’m a New Yorker, I have a really special connection to Austin. I feel like It’s where a new chapter of my life started. My first trip here was in 2023 for a tech conference called AfroTech, and it was also my first solo trip, the catalyst for an unexpected start of a new growth journey I’ve been on for the past three years.

It’s also just really nostalgic that I’m staying down the street from the hotel I stayed at back then. Sometimes you don’t realize how God has moved in your life until you’re quite literally standing across the street from where you used to be.

Football has a way of teaching that same lesson. if there’s anything I’ve learned about the game, it’s that no two weeks ever look the same. And if you’re anything like me, that unpredictability is part of why you love it and learn from it.

This season, my team has already faced a level of uncertainty not even I could have anticipated.

As I’m writing this, a handful of our core starters are out (to name a few):

• DeVonta Smith (WR, hamstring)

• Saquon Barkley (RB, hamstring)

• Tank Bigsby (RB, core muscle)

• Dallas Goedert (TE, knee/MCL)

  ---

If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we’d be dealing with injuries so early, I wouldn’t have believed you, but here’s what Austin reminded me this week: where you are right now isn’t where you’ll stay, and that’s true for both the good and the bad. I think back to the Super Bowl-winning 2024 Eagles and all the memories that came with that season, then look at a team today that’s completely different.

Change is always going to be part of it.

Looking back three years, I couldn’t have seen this version of my life coming. Nothing about it looks the way I pictured when I was younger, and yet I’m so grateful to be living it. Adversity sometimes feels like a permanent season while you’re in the middle of it, but it’s usually just a smaller part of a bigger story, right before things start to shift in your favor.

Building chemistry on a team with a new offensive coordinator and a new playbook is undoubtedly challenging. And as a fan, I’ve learned to take the losses a little less personally, knowing that with time, they’ll figure it out.

Sports have taught me a kind of detachment I don’t think I could have learned anywhere else.

You learn to stay open when your team changes, even when it isn’t the change you wanted, and to work with what you have instead of what you wish you had. You learn to love every version of your team, not just the times when they win. And if you think about it, life is a lot like that too.

So here’s to active recovery and lots of good energy for my team and for anyone in a season of their own. If things don’t look the way you hoped right now, trust the process and remember, in the words of Jalen Hurts, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”.

And maybe as you continue your route, one day you’ll look across the street too and see exactly how far you’ve come.

As always, Go Birds!

I’m currently sipping on a matcha latte before work, still thinking about yesterday’s Eagles vs. Titans match. Now that we have games to look forward to on the NFL schedule, I completely forgot how hard some of them can be to watch.

And as neutral as I try to be, you already know how much I love the Eagles, but that game left me feeling very confused. There are noticeable improvements they need to make, especially some adjustments to the O-line before the next game, but I’m still very happy that we won.

After watching Jalen’s post-game press conference, he emphasized that there’s also a need for “in-game chemistry” and it reminded me of a show on Netflix that i’ve recently been watching called Bridgerton. While it might feel very disconnected to compare romance to football, I think the two are kind of similar (just stick with me for a second).

When you really look at it, football is pure strategy, movement, and rhythm, similar to the dances in show. Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith are all teammates that Jalen already has a lot of chemistry with, they all know how to “dance” with one another on the field. But there are others on the team that need a little more time to learn the steps before everything clicks.

It’s basically a high-stakes ballroom, just played out on grass.

I know it sounds like a wild jump, but can you see what I mean?

The storylines in Bridgerton always rely on a slow burn and that type of connection is better to watch in hindsight when you see everything clearer, but in the moment, it can feel frustrating and sometimes confusing.

Yesterday’s game was built entirely on that kind of delayed gratification, unresolved tension and things that felt so out of reach. With the Eagles having not just one, but two interceptions, flags and major setbacks, I almost pre-maturely accepted that we lost. It was a very scrappy game, but it continues to teach a core lesson that the journey is never over until the clock hits 00:00.

Either way, both a romance (or bromance) and a football game result in seeing a team completely fall apart or grow through the mess so I’m glad they’re leaning towards the latter. And sometimes the true reality of a slow burn is losing a little hope, feeling like it’s over and then suddenly realizing that it’s not.

It’s an unexpected comparison to start off a Monday morning, but a reminder that in one game (or season of life), you can be an amazing player (or person), feel unprotected (and pressured), feel behind, throw two interceptions (or make mistakes), lose part of your team, experience multiple setbacks (that weren’t your fault), have everything feel like it’s slowly falling apart with only two minutes left on the clock... and still win.

I wanted to officially invite you to the Wellness Club, our little corner of Weekend Report to talk exclusively about health and wellness. I’ll always sneak a couple healthy-ish game day snacks into our weekend reports, but I think wellness finally deserves its own little section too.

As much as we talk about game days, what happens on the field or the court is only half the story. The other half ties to recovery, sleep, nutrition, and a lot of the daily, “boring” foundational work. And I think that’s just as important to pay attention to.

I really hope this can be a small space for sharing more athlete recovery routines (and how you can apply that to your own life), healthy-ish snacks and the small insights that make overall wellness easier to approach.

I’m very passionate about wellness, but for most of my life, it wasn’t something that I had the resources to prioritize. Between dealing with eczema, weight issues and anxiety, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I really started figuring out how to support my health (with a lot of help from my close friend who is a holistic nutritionist <3).

Going through years of my own journey taught me that wellness isn’t one size fits all and it’s not just about looking good (even though that’s an added benefit). I’d like to believe It’s just about figuring out what your body actually needs and going from there.

It’s the same principle athletes live by, just on a completely different scale since their health is fully tied to their careers.

I’m really excited to see what we can build here, but if you’d rather stick to sports content, you can opt-out of notifications for this section and keep living sporty.

If you’re still here, sending you some interesting videos i found on how athletes balance wellness.

enjoy :)

the Rams vs. 49ers sleep experiment:

• This was an interesting example of two teams using completely different sleep strategies before game day. I came across a great video that explores why one strategy worked over the other. Sometimes you really just can’t optimize your way out of biology.

LeBron James’ athletic longevity routine:

• It’s hard to talk about athletic recovery without mentioning LeBron, who is able to keep playing at an elite level, well into his 40s because of wellness. It’s also proof that longevity in the game isn’t an accident, but an investment in your future.

We’re at the start of the NFL season and if your team is 1-0 going into week two, congratulations. If your team is 0-1, it’s still very early, sometimes it just takes a few adjustments for a new roster to find their chemistry on the field after a long offseason.

If there’s anything I’ve learned about football it’s that one game never looks like the next. And if you’re anything like me, that unpredictability is part of why you love the game. No matter how the season unfolds, it’s always fun to make football Sundays (Mondays & Thursdays too) a little more special than just watching, so if you missed my NFL Game Day Essentials Guide, I wanted to re-share it here:

It’s never too late to bring homemade cookies to a friend’s house to celebrate game day or make a football care basket for your special someone (even if that special someone is you).

I’ve been collecting and even making little whimsical, sporty trinkets to express my love for my team. With a little stress and a lot of matcha, I managed to make an interesting-ish looking micro-tech piece that says “Go Birds”.

I also saw someone make a digital hair clip, which I plan on trying next so I hope Philadelphia feels the love all the way from my home in New York for the rest of football season.

But, this weekend I wanted to keep things light and just share a micro-list of athletes to keep up with this season. There are so many talented players on the field, but I wanted to pick the top 3 that stood out to me so far.

We can build the list together, so if you have any recent favorites, let me know.

:)

Leave a comment

my micro NFL watch-list

-week one-

• Sonny Styles (Washington Commanders, Linebacker)- Sonny had a great performance at the scouting combine and was drafted in the first round so it makes sense that he already looks like a natural leader on the field. You can tell he has a very bright future in pro football. Even though the Commanders lost game 1, he had a couple stand-out moments that make me excited to see him develop more as an athlete.

• OBJ (New York Giants, Wide Receiver) - it’s Odell’s homecoming year with the Giants, the team that drafted him back in 2014 and where he first became a household name, so it’s only natural to follow him for the rest of the season. Giants also won their first game so they’re apart of the 1-0 crew I mentioned earlier. There’s something so nostalgic for a lot of fans with him being back. I feel like the time lost while he was on different teams makes his arrival even sweeter.

• Myles Garrett (LA Rams, Defensive End) - Myles was recently traded to the LA Rams from the Browns in an offseason deal, so there was a ton of anticipation leading up to his LA debut. He’s historically a really strong player on defense, but he’s off to a slow start with the Rams this season due to an injury. I hope he recovers well and once he’s back in a couple weeks, I think we’ll see a lot more from him during this new chapter.

NFL edits & moments:

• Myles Garrett aka the Hulk

• i <3 The Eagles

• It’s always Sonny in Philadelphia

@kaiahenderson2Sooo excited for everything this chapter holds🥹🤍 proud of youuu @Sonny Styles ♥️

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healthy-ish game day snacks

• Alec’s Ice cream - uses A2 dairy which is easier to digest. i personally love the peanut butter cup flavor

• Jacked Granny - protein bars made from really simple ingredients. they used to have a coconut flavor that i loved, but it was discontinued :( still mentioning because it’s a great brand with excellent customer service and a really interesting name.

We’re just a couple days away from the start of the NFL season!!! We are so back and I personally couldn’t be happier. This offseason felt so long, but I literally feel my fan-filled personality defrosting from the hiatus. And now that we’re back, I wanted to share a curated list of game-day essentials.

This will be the last post of the beginner’s guide to the NFL series so if you’re still catching up or just need a refresher, check out some of the previous posts here:

:)

One of my favorite things about football is that it’s such a social sport, and there are so many ways to enjoy game day. Most of the time, I stay at home, watching the game in my red-light therapy mask and eating sushi, but going to the stadium to watch live or attending a watch party at a friend’s house are also really great ways to watch.

No matter the location, you can always make game-day special in your own way.

I broke the essentials down by scenario:

Share

game day from home or a friend’s place

• Order your favorite takeout or cook your favorite meal at home

  • If you’re heading to a friend’s, bring something to share: snacks, drinks, or a home-baked treat. A fresh batch of cookies topped with your favorite ice cream flavor is always a classic. My entire family loves the vanilla and cookie dough flavors from Ice Cream for Bears (so good).

• and of course, rep your favorite player’s jersey all day (it’s always going to be Jalen Hurts for me)

It’s all about the little details for an at home game-day for me.

And If you’re watching with your person, you can do something special at the start of the season. I love the idea of putting together a game day basket with favorite snacks, drinks and little trinkets you find online. <3

game day at the stadium

I always say no matter where you watch, the company around you matters the most, but nothing bottles up game-day energy quite like being at the stadium.

I’ve actually never been to an NFL game yet (that changes this season), but I did a little research for both of us to prep and make the experience as smooth as possible.

Starting off with a cute (and practical) outfit, a lot of my current favorite NFL pieces come from Off Season Brand and Abercrombie. Their collections are pretty minimalistic, which is my personal favorite way to rep my team.

• Buy a clear bag (most stadiums require this for safety reasons) - Coach has a cute one, but you can buy one off of amazon that works just as well. I would just make sure to check that the dimensions match your specific stadium.

  • Also, check any event emails for logistics with parking and different entrances.

• Comfortable shoes, there’s going to be a huge crowd and more walking involved (tailgating, getting to your seat, bathroom lines, concessions). I would think ahead about weather because stadiums are also basically outdoors and comfort makes a huge difference in the entire experience.

• A fully charged phone (and a portable charger) for photos, videos and tickets. In case of any reception gaps, it’s also good to pre-download your tickets on your phone.

@symonewiththesports8 tips for your NFL game #symonewiththesports #nfl #nflfootball #nflgame #nflgameday

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If you made it to the end of the series, thank you so much for reading.

Football was a sport I fell in love with as an adult and it’s so much more than just the scoreboard. It teaches you life lessons about discipline, support, perseverance, and it’s such a reminder that sports and life are more similar than we might think.

So whether you leave this season with new friends from a fanbase you picked, a new favorite player, or just something to look forward to on Sundays, the most important thing is that you have fun and create memories with the people you love.

And as an extra special token of appreciation, I’m gifting a “Women Know Ball” hat to any subscriber. To enter, just like this post by Tuesday, September 8th @ 11:59 PM EDT, and I’ll announce a winner on game day (September 9th).

There are so many incredible people on this app, women in sports especially, who deserve to be seen.

This one’s for you <3

Welcome back to a beginner’s guide to the NFL series and this is the post i’m the most excited about, partially because my team’s identity has truly become part of my personality. If you missed the first two posts of the series you can read the archive where, we went over why we watch football and the basics.

But, before I talk about how to pick your team, the scale of the NFL clubs are huge. There are 32 teams in the league, split into two big groups, the NFC and the AFC. All of the teams are organized into smaller groups called divisions. The best part about those divisions is that every team in your division plays each other twice a year, once at home and once away. It creates this built-in rivalry that gets really intense because at the end of the day, your team’s success usually comes at the direct expense of the other teams in your group, which makes those matchups wildly competitive.

Understanding the how the league is set up is pretty simple, but the hardest part about following football can be finding your team. There is no single right way to do it, but here are the three easiest and quickest paths you can take before the season starts:

check your home team first

This usually makes the most sense because it’s the easiest to watch locally and get to home games logistically. So if you live in New York, the Giants are huge here. If you live in Philly, the Eagles fandom is something you’re basically born into. But every once in a while, you get people like me who have a popular home team, and accidentally choose a favorite team that’s (luckily) just an Amtrak ride away (go birds). It’s always nice to root for your home team because it’s also easier to find community on game days.

follow a team’s player you already like

If you don’t want to choose your home team, you can also pick a team because of a player you’re already rooting for. Remember those quarterbacks we talked about last week? If you love watching a specific player, let him be your entry into the fandom. Football is fast and chaotic, and locking onto a single player you already love makes watching a game every week so much easier.

bonus option: borrow a friend, family member or boyfriend’s team

Simple but effective. It’s a huge pro because you’ll always have someone to text during the game and share snacks with <3

Beyond just the cities and the players, every single fanbase in the NFL has its own distinct personality. Some fanbases are more calm and community-focused, while others treat every Sunday like it’s the Super Bowl.

At the end of the day, whether you’re adopting a team for location, a borrowed family tradition, a favorite player, or just because you like a fanbase, the only thing that matters is that you have fun.

Welcome to part 1 of a beginner’s guide to the NFL. Last week was a sweet introduction to why watching sports can be fun.

But this week we’re getting into the actual basics of football so you’re not totally lost once the game’s actually in session.

Most of us have watched sports at least once in our lives and if you’re familiar with basketball or baseball, the great news is that the main goal is always exactly the same: score more points than the other team.

It just looks a little different here because football is a high-contact game on a massive 100-yard field where everyone’s wearing cute jerseys, helmets, and pads to stay safe.

The unique thing about football is that every player has a specific role on either the offense (the players trying to score) or the defense (the players trying to stop the other team from scoring). Unlike basketball, your offense and defense are never out there at the same time. When your team has the ball, that means the offense is on the field and the defense hangs out on the sidelines. When the other team gets the ball, your defense will now be able to play, meaning teams are constantly changing players in and out depending on who has possession of the ball.

When your team has the ball, the offense gets four attempts to move it ten yards down the field. Each attempt is called a “down.” If you gain those ten yards within four downs, the count resets and you get four fresh chances to gain the next ten yards. If you don’t, it then becomes the other team’s turn to try and score with the same rules.

That’s why the game pauses every few seconds. Each stop is usually the end of one down and the start of the next. It’s also why you’ll hear things like “third and four,” which just means it’s the third down and there are four more yards left to go out of ten total. And while the game clock is only an hour (15 minutes per quarter), you’re actually watching for about three, because of all the time it takes to set up each down.

Now that you know the rules, scoring is really simple for football. All you really need to know is that a touchdown is 6 points, which just means that the team was able to get to the end of the field inside what’s called “the end zone.” I like to call it the celebration zone because a lot of players do a little dance there or interact with fans. After a touchdown, the team also gets a bonus try to kick the ball through the goalposts for 1 extra point.

The other way to score is a field goal, which is 3 points. When your team isn’t close enough to the end zone for a touchdown but is close enough to kick it through the goalposts, they’ll take that instead, because some points are better than no points.

I know that can be a lot, but I promise that’s about it. If you made it this far, so proud of you. That is pretty much all you ever need to know about the actual rules of the game to survive a Sunday watch party. It really took me so much time when I first started learning to understand the “downs” specifically, but it’s a lot of fun once you get into the strategy and different ways teams try to score.

One of my favorite parts of football is that gradually you’ll also find yourself drawn to specific players. For now though, the only position I’d recommend knowing is the quarterback, the player who leads each team’s offense (the side trying to score).

So when you think of popular players like Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow or Josh Allen, they’re pretty much the face of each franchise. Not everyone on the team touches the ball every play, but the quarterback almost always does. They’re the one throwing it, handing it off, or running with it themselves, so nearly every chance to make points starts with them.

Analysts compare quarterbacks constantly, so it’s easy to assume they’re facing each other, but they’re never actually on the field at the same time. They’re really just taking turns, trying to outplay each other against the defensive players, which comes down to their own skill and how many wins they can get their team.

Don’t worry if you don’t remember any of this right away. You don’t need to know every little detail to enjoy the game, the snacks, and the company. Any extent of the game is fun, and you learn with time.

And if you’d rather watch than read, I learned from Hoops for Hotties and she does a great job explaining it for the girls <3

Next week is the fun one: picking your team.

:)

I can’t believe it’s already August and summer is officially coming to a quick end soon. While I think it's important to live in the moment, I could not be happier that fall is around the corner, because it's the start of football season (yay!!!).

If you know me, you know I'm a massive football fan, specifically an Eagles fan (go birds!!!), and this is genuinely my favorite time of the year.

While following the NBA and other sports more closely have been such a joy, it’s taught me that missing a sport actually makes you fall for it all over again. There’s a ton of patience required during the NFL offseason, especially if your team doesn’t make the playoffs, because then you’re looking at nearly six months without them. But then training camp rolls around, and the excitement comes back all over again.

So I wanted to make a little NFL starter pack series for the month of August, because I remember exactly what it felt like to not know anything about football, but wanting to learn it. And if you’re new, it’s honestly just so fun learning with someone.

But before we get into this series, one of the things I love about the NFL (and sports in general) is that the industry is ever-evolving and has become so much more than just scores and stats. There are so many different reasons to watch, whether it’s for community, tradition, or a little fun competition. It’s an entire culture now, one that overlaps with fashion, wellness, business, and more. It’s also one of the only places where it’s genuinely easy to make friends. We saw this during the Knicks’ run, where culture and sports overlapped in the best way. Being an athlete or a fan today means participating in something much bigger than the game itself.

Take my personal favorite, Jalen Hurts, as the perfect example. Even if you have never watched a single Eagles game, there is a good chance you have heard his name. Maybe you saw him in a Jordan commercial, spotted him on a box of Wheaties in the grocery aisle, or caught an interview clip so quotable it naturally made its way onto your social media timeline. That’s the world we’re in now. You don’t have to fully understand the stats to recognize the person or the sport, and honestly, to me, that’s a completely valid way to fall into a fandom. Start with a person you like watching, and the rules eventually have a way of following. And who knows, you might even end up meeting your favorite player one day:

Football was always on in my house growing up, but I never really understood what was happening. My real journey started with a work competition where I somehow managed to hit the leaderboard three weeks in a row. I picked the Eagles as my team before I realized my home team, the Giants, were their direct rivals. I’m sharing this because it’s okay if you didn’t grow up with sports. Sometimes that’s the beauty of joining a sports community as an adult. Regardless of how you start, you end up in the same place: genuinely caring about something you never expected to love.

Finding my own way into football as an adult has also been such a cool way to look back and connect to all those hours I spent watching with my brothers growing up. It made me realize that my late arrival to the game was not a disadvantage, but a fresh perspective on a landscape that is finally making room for everyone. If you ever need a reminder that sports belong to the girls too, just look at the industry right now. Some of the best football content I’ve watched did not come from a major network. It came from women who decided to start talking about the sport they loved, and in some cases, working in it too. Broadcasters, creators, journalists, and scouts are showing up in every corner of this industry, not just as an exception, but as proof that we belong.

@spicywasianReady for year 3 in the NFL 🏈 #womeninsports

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So, as we start the series, maybe you end up picking a favorite player, having a Sunday tradition, or meeting a new friend group built around a shared team.

Regardless, I am so happy you are here. Remember, the only way to explore something new is to be willing to start as a beginner, the same way we all did at one point.

:)

So welcome to my section, friend. Next week we’ll get started with the basics <3

healthy-ish NFL starter pack snacks

• Lesser Evil Popcorn- the himalayan gold flavor reminds me of an organic version of movie theater popcorn (which i love!!!).

• Boulder Sea Salt Kettle Chips - these are made with only three ingredients (potatoes, avocado oil, and sea salt). i really love that they used avocado oil, which is anti-inflammatory, and these chips are also great inside of a Jersey Mike’s sandwich.

• Ice Cream for Bears - in all honesty, i eat one of these almost every week because it is so good and all the ingredients are natural. i’ve been loving the cookie dough flavor, but classic vanilla is always a staple. if you end up making cookies or brownies, vanilla is also just the perfect topper.

game day fits

• Off season Philadelphia Eagles sweater - I have so many pieces from this brand already, and they are definitely game-day staples in my closet. The quality is always really good, and right now I’m looking into some new cozy ones for fall.

• Philadelphia Eagles Jeans - I actually have these jeans and I love how subtle the Eagles logo placement is. It’s such an effortless way to rep the team. If you get them too, we can be twins. so cute <3

Happy Fanatics Fest weekend! If you’re unfamiliar with Fanatics Fest, it’s basically a massive multi-day sports event based here in NYC. Think of it like an anime lover’s Comic-Con, just an active weekend of sports activations, panels, athlete meet and greets, games, and anything else you can think of.

We went on opening day to get a first look, and the scale of it was massive. Food trucks were parked everywhere, the lines were long, but the energy kept things moving. We really wanted to catch the Knicks and Aaron Judge podcast crossover, but the crowd was so big we couldn’t get anywhere near the stage.

Still, there were some genuine hidden gems in the chaos. We waited over an hour just to play the new Call of Duty, and somehow it still felt worth it. We also played mini-games at the AMEX Sports House, which was branded so well across their F1, NFL, and NBA partnerships that it barely felt like an ad. It just felt like part of the culture. Powerade was also handing out samples in a further, low-key corner of the event which ended up being the perfect little oasis.

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Basically here’s what I took away from it, and to be completely honest, this review is on the shorter side because most of my actual time was spent waiting in those lines. Fanatics Fest is one of those experiences that’s worth doing once just to witness the sheer scale. But you have to go in with a game plan, brace yourself for a sea of people, and stay flexible when the thing you wanted to do the most isn’t the thing you end up doing.

There is absolutely no way you can experience all of this in one day, which is probably why it is a multiple-day event. You really need that extra time just to pace yourself.

It really reminded me that sports fandom isn’t one size fits all.

Some fans genuinely thrive in the loud, chaotic energy of a massive convention floor. Others, including me, will always prefer a more curated, intentional experience. Because of the scale of an event like this, everyone’s Fanatics Fest experience is going to look and feel completely different. And that is okay too. Neither reaction is wrong.

It’s easy to assume that the more you pay for an experience, the more value you should get out of it. But to be fair, nothing can beat spending $25 for a Barnes & Nobles book signing event to meet Jalen Hurts, or the $50 I spent to see the Yankees break a few home run records at Yankee Stadium. Both were completely different levels of experience compared to the $70 I spent here.

It’s just a perfect reminder that great experiences aren’t just about the price tag, they are about the actual quality of the connection.

I mean, someone mentioned that the entire Fanatics floor layout basically looked like a sports-themed IKEA (not my words, but the words of another fan who was in line with me). And honestly, looking back at the crowd navigation, they weren’t entirely wrong.

I definitely think I’ve officially checked this massive event off my list, but it left me thinking about how many different ways there are for sports and brands to actually meet fans where they are.

On the bright side, other than the couple of activations I enjoyed, just having that laugh about the IKEA comparison made the entire trip better.

out my cart

• “Women Know Ball” Dad Hat - one of the most accurate statements to put on a hat and so cute!!!

• Loonen Water - i’ve seen this brand online everywhere and decided to try it. Loonen’s water is spring-sourced, certified free of microplastics, and bottled completely in glass.

As much as we talk about the NFL and NBA here, I wanted to share a moment in tennis that really stood out to me lately from a 21 year old athlete, Alexandra Eala who just played at Wimbledon, the biggest tournament in tennis. She went into her match as a massive underdog against Iga Swiatek, a 2025 Wimbledon champion.

In case you don’t know Alex, she actually grew up in a basketball-dominant country, practicing after school on public courts in the Philippines with her grandpa. More basketballs bounce on neighborhood courts there in a day than tennis balls do in a month. She recently talked about how she used to show up to those practices as a little kid with chubby cheeks, ruffled socks, and light-up sneakers. There were no true grass courts to practice on back then. Instead, she spent her childhood playing on hard pavement that was built for basketball, adjusting her game around hoops hanging over her head.

On paper, a kid from a country without a major tennis history is not supposed to beat the best player in the world on Centre Court. But paper does not account for how bad someone wants it.

She didn’t just compete. She played with total, raw hunger, using her entire body in every sprint and sliding across the grass to stay in the game. She ended up pulling off a massive victory, becoming the first player from her country to ever make it this far in the tournament.

@wimbledon

It was a powerful reminder that sometimes you are not just doing it for yourself. When you step out there, you are representing an entire country of possibility. You’re paving a path for the young girls who will come after you, showing them what is possible all because you had the courage to try.

Watching her out there reminded me that sometimes we get so comfortable calculating our chances and waiting for perfectly safe conditions before we make a move.

Alex didn’t wait for a guaranteed victory. She made a difference because she was willing to dive for the ball, risk looking messy, and leave absolutely everything on the court.

The scrappiest wins are often the games people leave a bookmark on when referencing important, historic moments in your career.

It made me think about why I show up to [solidcore] every week. If you’ve ever taken a class, you know how brutal low-impact, high-intensity workouts can be. Except in that studio, the competition isn’t out on a field. It is entirely in your own mind, playing out against yourself.

Your muscles literally shake and those small movements become ways to get stronger. But I keep going back because it challenges my mind just as much as my body. In that studio, hitting muscle failure is not a sign of weakness, it is the mechanism required for growth. You have to break the muscle down to build it back stronger.

It’s a weekly practice in being scrappy and just showing up when things feel hard, because the win is in the quiet work as much as it is out on the field.

Regardless of what happens at the end of Wimbledon, you don’t need to win the final round to leave a permanent mark.

I hope this is a reminder that the magic is not just about holding a trophy at the end of the line. The magic is in being the type of person who refuses to leave the court with any regret whether you win or lose.

So as we head into this week, look at the things you’re building and don’t just wait for the easy path to open up.

Sometimes you have to play scrappy, put on your ruffled socks, lace up your light-up sneakers, and just dive it.

I’m writing this during the midst of a massive heat wave in New York. If you’re here too, hope you’re staying safe and hydrated while we wait for this to pass.

But speaking of heat, Boston literally just set the sports world on fire. Out of absolutely nowhere, they traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and a couple of draft picks.

Honestly, when I saw this news come in I actually thought it was a prank. Why would anyone trade a five-time All-Star and the reigning NBA Finals MVP who just had the absolute best statistical season of his career? The media and fans are calling it one of the worst and most confusing trades in Boston sports history. So I guess I wasn’t completely alone in questioning it.

On a live stream after the news broke, Jaylen openly talked about the total lack of respect he felt from the organization that packed him up. It definitely feels like a bittersweet, shocking ending.

But what I love about Jaylen, and what really gets me beyond the game, is just how incredibly intelligent he is. He is one of those athletes where the second he sits down at a microphone or on a livestream, you stop what you’re doing because you just want to hear what he has to say. We are talking about a guy who literally turned down a NASA internship, lectured at Harvard at a very young age, and spends his summers teaching youth robotics classes. He is an absolute powerhouse of a human mind.

Even after getting packed up by management, Jaylen made it clear that his heart and his community roots, like his 7uice Foundation and all his work with local schools, stay with the people of Boston.

At the end of the day, a lot of us know exactly what it feels like to give your absolute everything to a job, a place, or a relationship, only to watch them let you go anyway. It stings, and it rarely makes sense in the moment.

But one thing I’ve learned is that being let go from a space that no longer values your worth is never the ending it feels like. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and Philadelphia is getting a hardworking, brilliant player who belongs in a city that embraces an authentic, unpolished hustle over a perfect storyline.

Plus, between Jaylen Brown and Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia officially may have a monopoly on the most profound quotes in sports history.

Welcome to Philly, JB.

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wellness tip

• Jaylen’s approach to change gives us a real-world wellness tip: lean into the discomfort.

  • When everything around you changes, the instinct is to run away from the awkward feelings or mask them with fake positivity. But the best thing you can do to adjust to change is to just sit with the friction.

And they 100% should.

Because sports are no longer just sports.

They’re culture, community and identity.

The Knicks making the Finals for the first time in 27 years isn’t just a basketball story. It’s a city-wide moment. And the brands that understand that are finding creative ways to become part of it.

If you’re a brand in New York right now and you’re not doing something Knicks-related, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

The most successful sports organizations and businesses today aren’t just selling products or building teams.

They’re building communities people want to explore.

If you know anything about sports fans, fandom is incredibly social.

Yes, there are downsides. Sometimes the rivalries go a little too far. But at its core, sports gives people something many of us are looking for: a place to belong.

A shared identity, a reason to talk to strangers, a reason to leave the house and a reason to care about something bigger than ourselves.

Sports happens to be one of the best vehicles for that.

At its best, fandom isn’t just about watching a game, it’s about participating in a moment.

What I’ve loved watching over the past few weeks isn’t just the Knicks. It’s how the entire city has responded to them.

And that’s exactly what smart brands understand.

They’re not really just selling coffee or cookies.

They’re selling participation and giving people another way to feel connected to the moment.

A Knicks-themed latte isn’t actually about the latte. It’s about walking into a coffee shop and instantly finding someone else who gets it.

An edible Knicks logo isn’t really about the cookie. It’s about celebrating something together.

The product is just the vehicle. The feeling is what people remember.

And that’s what New York has done so well during this Finals run. The city has turned fandom into a shared experience.

The best part is that most of these ideas aren’t complicated. They’re just timely and local.

One of my favorite examples has been Farm Cafe.

The café started adding Knicks-themed toppers to its drinks. A simple, but effective idea that I love.

Farm Cafe's Knicks-themed drinks eventually landed the café on Good Morning America, and because it's located just a mile from the Knicks practice facility, a few players including Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart stopped by.

And that’s just one example.

There’s vintage-style Knicks merch popping up at Mr. Throwback. Watch parties happening all over the city. A Knicks-themed stoop on the Upper East Side. Fanatics rolling through Manhattan with its fan wagon giving away shirts. A Knicks-themed subway station. Knicks cookies. Knicks watercolor paintings.

That’s the beauty of it. There’s something for everyone to find joy in.

@stoopandthecityYou know it's serious when The Stoop trades hydrangeas for basketballs. 🏀🧡💙 The Knicks are in the Finals and NYC is absolutely electric.

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And if you’re in San Antonio, the same thing applies. I mean, how cute would it be to walk into a local shop and get a Spurs-themed Texas stamp on your boots or your cowboy hat during the Finals?

The goal isn’t to copy New York. The goal is to create a version of this that feels uniquely Texan.

The best experiences aren’t necessarily the biggest ones. They’re the ones that feel authentic. New York is succeeding because it’s tapping into New York culture. San Antonio has an opportunity to do the same this week with Texas culture.

These are the kinds of moments people remember for years to come. They'll remember who they watched the games with, where they were and the stories that came from it.

That’s what makes moments like this so special.

And what brand wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Also, I know some people like to joke about “performative fans,” but honestly, I think that’s how fandom often starts.

Sports are one of the few things that can bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, and interests. The barrier to entry right now is surprisingly low. All you really need is a reason to care.

All of these examples are invitations to join the conversation and belong.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

One watch party. A Knicks shirt. A team-themed cookie.

Before you know it, you’re checking scores, learning player names, and complaining about missed calls by the refs.

The best experiences don’t just serve existing fans.

They create new ones.

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Happy (almost) NBA Finals. It’s been so fun watching the games, reading everyone’s content, and learning about the history behind each team and series.

The finals don’t actually start until June 3rd and with OKC & the Spurs heading into game 7, it genuinely feels like a toss up on who’s going to play against the Knicks next week. My hope is that the Spurs pull through so we get a Knicks vs. Spurs Finals, which would be a full history re-run from 1999 and honestly too poetic to ignore.

But regardless of who wins the western conference finals, watching the Knicks this postseason has been really special. To be fair, this is my first year consistently watching and as a Knicks fan (and VJ Maxx loyalist… can’t help it lol), you can really see how hard they have been fighting for this.

At the center of it all is the King of New York, Jalen Brunson, a 29 year old point guard who didn’t just grow up with hoop dreams, he grew up inside them. His dad, Rick Brunson played nine seasons in the NBA, hopping between eight different teams on unguaranteed contracts, never really getting the stability or the ending he deserved, but is now a proud father and assistant coach to the same team his son plays for and the same team he played for years ago. Crazy full circle moment.

But just because Jalen’s dad was an NBA player doesn’t mean his path was paved for him. If anything, from a young age, he watched what the grind really looked like and still had to go out and prove himself every single step of the way.

He went to Villanova where he won two NCAA championships, took home the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award (both celebrate the best college player of the year), and the Bob Cousy Award (Top Men's Collegiate Point Guard). He was also later named College Basketball Player of the Decade by Sporting News. By every measure he was one of the best college players of his generation.

And then draft night came. 32 players got called before him and he was picked 33rd overall.

For a player who had just collected nearly every major award in college basketball, being picked 33rd stings. That's 32 players called before you regardless of everything you gave and all of the accolades you received. It tells you exactly what the league thought of his ceiling from the very beginning. Too small. Too slow. The kind of player who can “succeed in college but probably won’t translate”. It seemed like critics thought he didn’t have the size or explosiveness that teams wanted. What he did have was everything that doesn’t necessarily show up on a measuring tape, but for a long time, the league consistently downplayed him.

Jalen spent his first four years in Dallas playing behind Luka Doncic, learning and working hard. But when his moment came during the 2022 playoffs with Luka sidelined, he showed up in a way that people started to notice. And Dallas had the chance to lock him in and didn’t so that summer, Jalen signed with the Knicks as an unrestricted free agent, choosing one of the most pressure filled, historically heartbroken fan bases in professional sports. Eventually, becoming the heartbeat of the franchise.

In hindsight, it’s easy to say that him reaching the NBA finals was inevitable because, well… we can see that he’s here now, but sometimes that’s the trap of looking backwards. Nothing about Jalen Brunson’s path was actually guaranteed.

I’m sure plenty of second round picks with great college careers disappear into the league and never find their moment. Plenty of “undersized” guards get labeled early and carry that label for the rest of their career. Plenty of players go to a pressure franchise like the Knicks and crumble under the weight of it.

What made it feel inevitable wasn’t talent alone, It was the combination of talent, character, timing, and choice. He had to choose the Knicks. The Knicks had to be ready to build around him. He had to stay healthy. He had to keep showing up in the big moments consistently enough that the city believed in him before the results fully proved them right.

So the better way to say it might be, it was inevitable only because of who he is, not because of what he had. A lot of people have talent, not everyone responds to pressure the way he does.

And now he has the Knicks in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.

The league doubted him at every turn. He just kept proving them wrong.

But here is where the story gets even more special.

27 years ago, Rick Brunson who didn’t become an NBA Champion now gets to stand on the sideline as an assistant coach watching his son lead the same franchise back to the biggest stage in basketball. While he didn’t get to win, he raised someone who has a chance to.

And regardless of what happens during the finals, it’s not just a sports story anymore. It’s a legacy story. It’s a father planting a seed he never got to see fully bloom. Rick doesn’t just have a son. He now has a second chance.

I’m convinced basketball has the most compelling storylines of any sport. Once you start looking into the players and the history behind them it’s almost impossible not to care.

And what I love most is that the lessons translate. We may not all face the amount of pressure athletes have, but it’s proof that the blessings God places on your life do not come without challenges. Your perspective matters through the journey. And your success also depends on how you look at your circumstances. Because if you’re not careful you’ll actually start to believe what people say about you. That you’re too small. That you’re not good enough. That your moment already passed. You’ll think the blessing you received is actually a curse.

It’s a reminder not to let those words become your story. Jalen Brunson didn’t and look where he is now.

27 years in the making for the franchise. His testimony arrived right on time.

And now, there’s only one thing left to do… finish the job! <3

wellness activity

• Journal your own testimony. write down one thing you were told you couldn’t do that you did anyway. keep it somewhere you can see it and let it remind you of what you are capable of.

  • if you feel like sharing, drop it in the comments. i would love to cheer you on <3

    

    Leave a comment

brand stuff

• Oura Ring x Knicks - oura just dropped a thinner, beautiful ring and i’ve been trying to convince myself i don't need it, but i do. if you know me you know i am a loyal oura ring girl despite its fitness tracking shortcomings. and apparently they have been an official knicks partner since 2023 which i just found out and feel like i should have known sooner.

out my cart

• Suri toothbrush - an eco-friendly toothbrush that comes with a UV-C cleaning case that removes 99.9% of bacteria in one minute. it's the kind of thing you didn't know you needed until you have it and then you can never go back.

• Cymbiotika Vitamin C Immune + Collagen Support Liposomal - i was sick last week (and one too many times this year) so i decided that i need to focus on building up my immune system. these taste so good and have helped with my recovery.

It’s officially the year of the underdog, especially when it comes to sports. If you were following the NBA playoffs, you’d know that the Sixers came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Celtics and ended up progressing to round 2. There’s something beautiful about a team that refuses to give up. If you missed that post, it’s below. There’s a ton of history behind that series that was incredible to watch.

But this weekend, I want to spotlight the Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious horse race in America, held every year in Louisville. Honestly, I had no clue what this was other than people dressing up in fancy hats, dresses and suits. It’s been running since 1875 and is known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports”. Twenty horses compete in a 1.25-mile race for a chance at the Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown is one of horse racing's biggest achievements (like a Super Bowl or NBA Champ). It requires a horse to win three core races in the same year - the Kentucky Derby (May 2), the Preakness Stakes (May 16), and the Belmont Stakes (June 6). Something only 13 horses in history have ever done.

What made this Derby unforgettable wasn't just that Cherie DeVaux became the first woman trainer to win. It was watching Golden Tempo and the jockey, Jose Ortiz surge from last place to first in the final stretch.

There’s something surreal about watching it unfold. It’s proof that even when you’re dead last, your race isn’t over. Things can change suddenly. One moment you’re at the back, wondering if you’ll ever catch up. The next, you’re crossing the finish line first.

Cherie DeVaux proves that an "overnight success" is never really overnight. The moment leading up to the win was something she had been preparing for for years. She's been training horses for over 20 years. She started at the bottom, mucking stalls and working her way up. She faced setbacks and rejection in an industry that's historically been dominated by men, but she kept showing up, running her own race, and trusting her process even when no one else believed.

Before 2026, only 19 horses trained by women had entered the Kentucky Derby in over 150 years. The odds were stacked against her, but she didn’t let that stop her from trying. You don’t enter a race knowing you’ll win. You enter for the chance to win. This is what happens when years of preparation meet the right moment. This is what stepping out on faith actually looks like.

This feels like God’s timing to me. Golden Tempo spent most of that race in last place. But when the moment was right, everything fell into place in seconds. He was exactly where he needed to be, exactly when it mattered.

Which has me thinking: we should honor our own tempo and stop worrying about being last. Stop watching who’s ahead. Find your opening. Run your race <3

Like Golden Tempo, your moment is coming, it’s just a matter of time.

other sporty stuff

• NBA semifinals: Knicks (2) vs. Sixers (0)- a battle of the east coast cities. knicks are in the lead!!

I’m sipping on an iced vanilla latte with oatmilk and wanted to share a bite-sized take on why underdog stories mean so much to me. This is my first year ever closely following the NBA playoffs and there are a lot of great series happening right now, but the one I couldn’t look away from was the series between the Sixers vs Celtics. Yesterday it closed out in the most unexpected, emotional, full circle way. A 3-1 comeback that no one anticipated.

I watched game 7 last night in my VJ Edgecombe Sixers shirt, eating cookie dough ice cream, tempted to turn the TV off as the score got close toward the end. That’s how much I wanted them to win, but I’m not here to break down the game or to talk about what went wrong or what went right. It isn’t really about analysis for me.

It’s about the fact that both teams showed up. Both teams competed. But only one of them carried something extra into each arena. A weight that’s been sitting on the sixers since 1982. No wins against the Celtics in the playoffs in over 40 years. That’s not just a stat, that’s a mindset that gets passed down. “They always beat us.” But somewhere in the middle of this series, that stopped being true.

And that’s the part that got me emotional. Not the score. The rewrite.

Because showing up is one thing, but showing up when you’re also trying to break a 40 year curse is another thing entirely.

And I want to give the Celtics their flowers too. They're a seed 2 team for a reason and there's a unique pressure that comes with being at the top and staying there. We all have bad seasons. For some teams that means not making the playoffs at all. For great teams, it means not advancing in the playoffs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have never missed the playoffs in their careers, so losing in Round 1 is their version of a hard year. And even that is something worth acknowledging.

I think there’s something deeply wellness related about an underdog story. It’s not just physical, it’s the decision to believe before you have any evidence to support the belief. To quiet the noise of people constantly doubting you or maybe even the doubts you put on yourself and to stay present in a moment that feels impossible. That’s not just athletic, that’s a practice. And most of us have had to do a version of it at some point in our lives, whether or not anyone was watching.

The comeback mindset isn’t about pretending things are fine. It’s about deciding that the loss doesn’t have the final say, even after 40 years.

As a Sunday reflection, I’ll just ask you this. Where have you been carrying a loss so long it started to feel like who you are? And what would it mean to finally rewrite it?

It doesn’t have to be a championship moment. Sometimes the rewrite is a decision you make on a random Tuesday or the thing you go back to after walking away from it for years.

It’s the moment you stop letting an old story define what’s possible for you now.

Whether you’re a Sixers fan or not, I think most of us know the weight of a long losing streak in some area of life. And sometimes that starts to feel less like bad luck and more like just who you are. But there is something special when we decide that it doesn’t have to be.

That’s the comeback. That’s your rewrite.

I know for me, part of why I always root for the underdog is because I’ve always been one. And if the Sixers can break a 40 year curse on a random Saturday night in May, I think the rest of us can find a little hope in that too.

Now… if you’ll excuse me, I have to mentally prepare for Round 2 against the Knicks. I’m a New Yorker. This is going to be a stressful one. My family might actually disown me if I root for the Sixers again, but for now PLAY THE SONG!!

I get asked about my Oura ring so much that I felt like it was finally time to officially share a more detailed review.

At coffee shops, hair salons, work… one of the first questions is always “is that an Oura ring?” followed by “is it worth it?” So those are the two main questions I want to base this on.

And honestly, sometimes it makes me laugh because it also makes me wonder is it really that subtle if people can instantly tell I have one on? Or has it just become such a recognizable piece of tech that people know it when they see it?

What most people don’t realize is that it’s not just wellness tech. Oura is the official health wearable partner of the New York Knicks, with Jalen Brunson as a brand ambassador. So when I say this is about recovery, It’s cool to think that it also means the same kind that pro athletes are tracking.

For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, before I actually knew what the Oura ring was, I thought of it as a cute Apple Watch alternative. I wore an Apple Watch for years, especially for workouts, but I hit a point where I wanted something a little more low key. Slightly more “demure”. The apple watch aesthetics just weren’t doing it for me at the time, and the Oura ring immediately caught my attention.

But what actually pulled me in was sleep.

I wanted to get more serious about tracking my sleep and recovery, and wearing an apple watch to bed just wasn’t comfortable for me. The Oura ring felt like a better fit for that part of my routine.

At its core, the Oura ring is wearable tech that tracks your sleep, recovery, and overall readiness using a range of biometrics. You wear it all day and night, and because it sits on your finger, it’s able to collect really detailed data that translates into insights about how your body is actually doing.

It’s marketed toward people who want to understand their bodies better, especially when it comes to rest and recovery.

At the same time, while the aesthetics are definitely on point, it is still a pretty expensive piece of health tech ($300+), which is why I think so many people are curious, but hesitant to actually buy it.

And that’s before even getting into the fact that once you buy the ring, you’re also paying a monthly subscription for the full insights. It does add up, and I can definitely see how that turns people away.

But after wearing it consistently for two years, I wanted to share what’s actually been worth it, what hasn’t, and what I wish I knew before getting it.

sleep tracking

I love sleep. Like if it were a hobby, it would easily be my top one and this is where the Oura ring really stands out.

It breaks down how well you actually slept, not just how long you were in bed. Your readiness score, your sleep stages, how recovered your body feels going into the next day. It gives you a full picture.

It’s also just really comfortable to sleep in. Half the time I barely even notice it’s there, which was a big thing for me coming from the Apple Watch.

I would definitely recommend ordering the sizing kit first, because your hands can swell a bit, especially overnight, and you don’t want it to feel too tight when you wake up.

But sleep is the kind of insight that you’ll either love or something that might stress you out a little. Because now you know when you didn’t sleep well.

But for me, I actually think that awareness is important, especially when it comes to recovery.

health insights

There have been times where my Oura ring told me to slow down or shared that my body might be under intense strain, even when I didn’t fully realize it yet. It gives early signals when you might be getting sick, which is kind of crazy to me.

I don’t get sick too often, but the times I have, Oura actually picked up on it days beforehand.

It makes you a lot more aware of your body in a way that feels subtle but consistent.

It also tracks your daily stress levels, which is interesting because it can go both ways. It can either make you more aware of your stress, or make you more stressed lol. But it can also be a really helpful signal that you need to slow down or reset.

And reading into the many stories out there where Oura really stands out. People catching early signs of illness, even things like pregnancy before they realized it themselves. It just shows how powerful that kind of data can be when it’s actually used well.

@hunterwoodhallShould have known something was wrong when our family dog slept right next to me all night

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Spoken from the Olympian himself, Oura can be lifesaving for athletes too.

And just to give you a real look into what the data actually looks like, here’s my sleep score and stress. And yes, I’m giving you my best days, because if you saw my worst, my score might drop just from me typing this lol.

for the girls

If you pair Oura with the Natural Cycles app, it becomes really helpful for cycle tracking. It just adds another layer of understanding your body in a way that feels easy and integrated into your daily routine.

Women’s health is so important, and this just feels like a simple way to be more in tune with your body without overcomplicating it.

workouts, and where it falls short

This is probably my biggest downside.

I really thought the Oura ring could replace my Apple Watch, especially for workouts, but it just can’t. The workout tracking isn’t great, and it’s definitely not something I rely on.

For example, I’d ideally want to track my [solidcore] workouts and other activities in a detailed way, and it just doesn’t fully deliver on that yet.

It can pick up on general activity and give you a sense of movement, but it’s not the same as having real time metrics or detailed workout breakdowns.

So if you’re someone who cares about that level of detail or likes actively tracking your workouts while you’re doing them, you’ll still want to keep your Apple Watch or another device for that.

so, would i recommend the oura ring?

Short answer:
yes, for the right person

it’s 100% worth it if you are someone who:

• cares about sleep and recovery

• wants to understand your body on a deeper level

• prefers low effort, passive tracking

• values aesthetic + lifestyle fit just as much as functionality

This is where the Oura ring really shines.

It’s not trying to be everything, but it’s trying to be really good at helping you understand your body.

It’s probably not worth it if you:

• care a lot about workout tracking and performance metrics

• are hesitant about paying for both the ring and the monthly subscription

Because in those cases, you can just get an Apple Watch or equivalent workout or health tracker.

So, If you were thinking about getting an Oura ring, I hope this helped.

And Oura, if you ever read this one day… hire me because regardless of the shortcomings, I do genuinely love you.

You don’t need to be an expert to belong in sports, and I think more people need to hear that.

Picture this:

It’s a Saturday morning, you’re heading to a run club, matcha in hand, looking forward to having an active morning. Or maybe it’s Sunday, you’re on the couch with a game on in the background.

Maybe it’s something else entirely.

And honestly, if none of that matches what you think of when you hear “sports,” it actually doesn’t have to.

Because being part of the sports world doesn’t look one way.

It can be playing, watching, or just building a lifestyle around movement and being active in your own way.

And I think that matters more than we realize.

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Because for a lot of people, the hardest part isn’t interest, it’s access.

There aren’t many spaces that actually teach you how to get into a sport, how to follow it, understand it, or feel part of it. So most people assume it’s not for them.

But the truth is, you don’t really learn sports from a manual. You learn by being around it, watching it, by picking things up over time and by talking about it with other people. By being part of the environment, even if you don’t fully get it yet.

Also, sports fans are actually some of the most welcoming people. Every game I’ve been to, every person i’ve interacted with online, there’s always been someone willing to answer a question or explain what’s going on.

And that’s what I want this to be, a way in.

When the barrier to entry is low, people are more willing to try.

And once they try, they start to understand. They recognize players, follow storylines, get familiar with the game.

What starts as just showing up for the vibes slowly turns into real interest.

That’s how people become fans, not all at once, but over time.

Weekend Report isn’t traditional. I probably won’t ever be here breaking down stats or analyzing every play because I care more about the experience of it.

Like this year, I 100% plan on going to the US Open, trying the food, getting the iconic honey deuce cocktail, and walking through all the brand activations.

Do I know much about tennis? Not really, but I don’t really need to.

It’s proof you don’t need to know everything to be part of that.

Even knowing a little bit, like recognizing a player, following a team, understanding the basics, can open the door to connection with your friends, your family, even complete strangers.

It gives you something to talk about, share, and be part of.

Most of the time, I’m learning too, reading Substacks from people who actually know the game and picking things up as I go.

Like I enjoy watching basketball, but I still have to search “what’s a backcourt again?” (other than it being in the back of the court…?).

And somehow, I still ended up making sports one of the main topics of these letters.

I also think sports are meant to be experienced, kind of like wellness.

For some people, the two are one. But I hope Weekend Report is a reminder that living sports matters just as much as watching them.

There’s a whole world around it, and it’s just as interesting. I promise, sometimes it’s even more interesting than your reality TV show (I mean… remember the Luka Doncic trade situation?).

But anyway, you don’t need to know anything to wear a cute outfit and sip a honey deuce by a tennis court with your friends.

However you choose to show up, it still counts.

And if you’re already deep into sports (I admire you!), you definitely don’t need this. But if you want to learn a little more (or convince your friend to), I’m sharing a few resources below.

Simple intro videos for the NFL and NBA, these are very much for the girls, but honestly, they made learning funny and way more fun.

Feel free to send this to the person you’ve been trying to convince to go to a game.

And if you ever feel intimidated by the sports jargon, I’ll be saving you a seat (and a snack) at my table.

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The way I’ve been missing football, you’d think I actually played it.

Sundays, (Monday & Thursday nights) were always a core part of my routine so without it, it feels like something is missing.

But, this weekend, we got a version of it back.

The Fanatics Flag Football game isn’t the NFL, but it carries pieces of it. It’s also a chance to see some of our favorite players on the same field, in different dynamics playing together in a way you normally wouldn’t across the 32 NFL clubs.

To me, it feels a little more relaxed, but still competitive enough to remind you what you’ve been missing.

It’s not the same, but it doesn’t have to be.

And seeing a super athletic roster, like Tom Brady and Jalen Hurts on the same team, makes you realize how rare it is to see talent like that share the field in that way.

Also Saquon and Odell. Players you’re used to watching in completely different contexts, now part of the same game.

Even seeing someone like iShowSpeed out there, who isn’t from the league but is clearly athletic in his own right, added another layer to it.

But specifically, seeing Odell’s one-handed catch in 2026 felt like a blast from the past.

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@nfl#odellbeckhamjr with the sick grab 😮‍💨 #nfl #joeburrow #jaydendaniels

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And watching him play in the flag football game reminded me of his career. For a second, I honestly thought he had retired. I’ve always associated him with the Giants, so seeing him out there again really brought me back.

From being drafted to the Giants to becoming one of the most recognizable players in the league, Odell basically had a very strong association with New York (and still does).

After his iconic one-handed catch during his rookie season, his name was everywhere. It wasn’t just a great play, it became part of the culture, and in a lot of ways, that moment accelerated everything in his career.

Kids started to look up to him, dye their hair blonde, and talk about the catch on recess. It felt like a movement.

But with that came a version of him people didn’t always understand.

He was emotional. You’d see it on the sidelines, sometimes even during the game. Odell had a ton of frustration, passion and intensity, but It didn’t always come across the right way, and it always became the headline.

It’s also hard to separate that from how much he cared. Two very high emotions on both ends.

When you love something that deeply, your emotions are going to show. Especially in a sport like football, where everything is physical, fast, and constantly under a microscope.

But at the same time, there’s something to be said about staying composed and regulated in those moments.

When the Giants traded him, it definitely changed how that chapter ended.

But moments like his one-handed catch don’t really belong to just one point in time. That play alone feels like a snapshot of a different era of football.

And I think that’s the part that sticks.

Not just the highlights, but the reminder that careers aren’t always clean or linear. You can be incredibly talented, widely celebrated, and still misunderstood.

And regardless of how everything played out, I still hope one day he gets to retire as a Giant.

Because maybe the past isn’t something you always have to outgrow or leave behind.

Maybe this time for OBJ, it’s something you come back to and each time, it looks a little different because you are.

OBJ edits

• Odell’s heart is in New York

• the OBJ movement

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